Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONTAINER FOR CONTAINING TWO DIFFERENT SEPARATE PRODUCTS
AND MIXING THEM
The present invention refers to a container for containing two different
separate products and mixing them, by means of which the two products can be
kept separate for an indefinite time period without the risk of them coming
into
contact with each other, and they can be mixed inside of the container in the
moment they are to be used.
Containers of the type explained are widely used in the chemical-
pharmaceutical industry, for example, for the distribution and sale of certain
medicines including two products of substances which must be kept separate
until
taking them.
Containers are already known for the mentioned purpose which comprise a
recipient with a loading opening, which contains a first product; a capsule
containing
a second product, which is coupled on the recipient as from its loading
opening; and
a closure cap of the recipient, which is provided with means for breaking the
bottom
of the capsule, such that the second product contained in said capsule falls
into the
recipient containing the first product, being able to then obtain a good
mixture of the
two products, for example, by means of shaking the container.
A container of this type is disclosed, for example, in Spanish Utility Model
number 147,793, dated 23 April, 1969, regarding a storage and closure cap on
necks of containers. According to said Utility Model, a capsule open on its
upper
base and closed on the lower one is internally coupled on the neck of a
recipient.
Inside of this capsule, a second breaker capsule is arranged, which is similar
to the
first one but arranged in a reverse position, this second breaker capsule
having the
wall finished off with an inclined edge which faces the bottom of the first
capsule
and separated therefrom by means of an easily detachable upper ring. The
assembly is closed by means of a cap with a skirt that can be screwed to the
neck
of the container. With this constitution, two different products, a first
product
contained in the container or recipient and a second product contained in said
first
capsule, can be kept separate until the moment of their use. For the mixing
thereof,
it is enough to separate the upper ring and then screw on the cap to a maximum
screwed-on position in which it pushes the second breaker downwards, such that
the inclined edge of the wall thereof acts on and breaks the bottom of the
first
capsule, so that the product contained therein falls into the recipient or
container,
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then bringing together the two products so as to carry out their mixing by
shaking.
In the disclosed cap, in order to carry out the mixing, it is necessary to
remove the cap, remove the upper ring and screw the cap back on.
This drawback is resolved by making the cap and second capsule form a
single part, as disclosed, for example, in European Patent EP 0963325. In said
patent, the breaker capsule is coupled to the bottom of the cap by means of an
,intermediate wall. Furthermore, when the cap is screwed on to maximum screwed-
on position, the edge of the wall of the container capsule is retained between
the
skirt of the cap and the wall of the breaker capsule, such that when
unscrewing said
cap, the removal of the container capsule occurs. This possibility demands a
special
configuration of the edge of the container capsule and a good fit of said edge
between the skirt of the cap and the wall of the breaker capsule, so as to
ensure
removal of the container capsule. As is normal in this type of closures, the
wall or
skirt of the cap is provided with a tamper-evident ring, breaking of which
occurs
when initiating the screwing on of the cap from the closure position until
maximum
screwed-on position. This ring serves to limit the screwing-on of the cap in
its
normal closure position, keeping the edge of the wall of the breaker capsule
close to
the bottom of the container capsule, and, as a tamper-evident ring, against
undue
manipulations. This tamper-evident ring system is widely used in closure of
caps of
similar bottles and containers.
In either of the explained cases, it is necessary to completely unscrew the
cap until opening the container for taking or using the mixture of the two
products.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the aforementioned
drawbacks by means of a container of the type explained in which, for taking
or
removing the mixture, it is not necessary to unscrew the cap, but rather
taking or
emptying the content can be done with the cap fixed on the neck of the
recipient, in
its maximum screwed-on position.
Another object of the invention is to simplify the constitution of the breaker
cap-capsule assembly, as said capsule is substituted by a skirt or wall which
internally projects from the bottom of the cap, in a coaxial position to the
outer
threaded skirt or wall, forming part of said cap.
A further object of the invention is to provide the container with an
additional
tamper-evident seal, which provides complete security against undue
manipulations.
The container of the invention is of the type explained, constituted by a
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recipient provided with a filling opening and intended for containing a first
product, by a capsule containing a second product, which is open on its upper
base, closed on the lower base and coupled on the recipient as from its
opening; and by a closure cap of the recipient which includes an outer skirt
with a thread and tamper-evident ring.
According to the invention, the closure cap is provided with an inner
coaxial skirt, as from the edge, which has a free inclined end and which can
be
supported by this edge and break the bottom of the capsule when screwing on
the cap from a closed position to a maximum screwed-on position.
This constitution implies a considerable simplification in the
manufacture of the cap, since the breaker capsule is substituted by a simple
inner
skirt forming part of the cap and which projects from the inner surface of the
bottom
thereof.
According to another feature of the invention, the closure cap is provided
on the bottom with an opening coinciding with the contour defined by the inner
skirt, which opening is closed by means of a detachable cover. This
constitution permits that emptying the content of the container, after
carrying
out the mixture, can be carried out with no need of unscrewing the cap, it
being
enough to remove the cover closing the opening of the bottom of said cap,
through which the content of the container comes out.
According to another additional feature of the invention, both the
recipient and cap are tightly surrounded by an easily breakable laminar
tamper-evident cover, which partially envelopes the bottom of the recipient
and the cover fixed to the cap, such that it ensures no manipulation of the
content, thus providing additional security, not only against separation of
the
cover, but also against the unscrewing of the cap. This laminar cover can
be constituted of a thermo-retractable sheet, which can be of a transparent
nature, such that it permits seeing through it the print which the surface of
the
container or label thereof may have.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
container for containing two different separate products and mixing them,
comprising a
recipient for a first product, provided with a bottom and a filling opening; a
container
capsule of a second product which is open on its upper base and closed on its
lower base
and coupled to the recipient through its opening; and a closure cap of the
recipient which
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includes a threaded outer skirt and tamper-evident ring, and an inner coaxial
skirt defining
a contour capable of being supported by its free edge and breaking the lower
base of the
container capsule when screwing on the closure cap from a closed position to a
maximum
screwed-on position, wherein the closure cap is provided on its bottom with an
opening
coinciding with the contour defined by the inner coaxial skirt, which opening
is closed by
means of a detachable cover; and wherein the recipient and the closure cap are
tightly
surrounded by an easily breakable, laminar tamper-evident cover, which
partially
envelopes the bottom of the recipient and the detachable cover fixed to the
cap.
All the features of the invention, included in its claims, are explained
below in greater detail with the aid of the attached drawings, which show a
non-limiting preferred embodiment.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 shows a diametric section of a container constituted according
to the invention, in which the different components forming it are separated
from
each other.
Figure 2 shows a view similar to figure 1, with the different components
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being assembled, for keeping two products separated, and with the laminar
tamper-
evident cover.
Figure 3 shows a view similar to figure 2 once the container is open for the
removal of the mixture of the two products.
As can be seen in figure 1, the container comprises a recipient 1 intended
for containing a first product, a capsule 2 intended for containing a second
product
and a closure cap 3.
The recipient is provided with an externally threaded neck 4 which ends in a
loading opening 5. The capsule 2 is dimensioned so as to be tightly coupled
inside
of the neck 4 of the recipient 1, through the opening 5. This capsule 2 is
closed on
the bottom 6 and open on the upper base, it being possible to arrange around
this
open base a peripheral rim for supporting on the edge of the opening 5 of the
recipient.
The cap 3 is provided with an outer, internally threaded skirt 7, and an
internal skirt 8 coaxial to the outer skirt 7 and which projects from the
inner surface
of the bottom of the cap. This cap also has a central opening 9 on the bottom
coinciding with the contour defined by the inner skirt 8. This opening 9 is
closed by
means of an outer cover 10. In order to obtain a secure fitting of the cover
10 on the
bottom of the cap 3, said cover can have on its inner surface an annular
groove 11
in which a facing annular rib 12 projecting from the outer surface of the
bottom of
the cap 3 tightly fits.
The outer skirt 7 of the cap 3 is provided on the lower part with a tamper-
evident ring 13, having a known constitution and function, which is coupled to
the
skirt by means of easily breakable bridging pieces. This ring is provided with
an
inner rib 14 capable of being supported or retained by a rib 14' projecting
from the
lower part of the neck 4 of the recipient 1.
The inner skirt 8 of the cap 3 is provided with an inclined lower edge 15,
having a cutting profile, for the purpose that will be explained below.
With said constitution, as can be seen in figure 2, for closure of the
recipient,
the capsule 2 is tightly arranged inside of the neck 4 of the recipient 1. For
its part,
the cover 3 is fixed by means of screwing of the skirt 7 in the thread of the
neck 4 of
the recipient 1, the inner rib 14 of the tamper-evident ring being below the
outer rib
15 of the neck of the recipient. The cover 10 is fixed to the bottom of the
cap, such
that when introducing the rib 12 of the bottom of said cap into the annular
groove 11
of the cover. In this situation, the lower edge 15 of the inner skirt 8 is
separated from
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the bottom of the capsule 2, this position corresponding to that of the
storage or
packaging of the product. Lastly, the recipient assembly is closed by means of
a
laminar cover 17, for example based on thermo-retractable material, which can
be
of a transparent nature. This cover partially covers the bottom of the
recipient 1 and
the cover 10, thus providing complete security against the separation of any
of the
elements or components of the container.
When wishing to open the container for the use of the products contained
therein, the outer laminar cover 17 is broken and separated. Then, the cap 3
is
screwed on from the position shown in figure 2 to a maximum screwed-on
position
shown in figure 3. This operation can be done directly, since the tamper-
evident ring
18, when pressed against the area of the container I with the biggest width,
will
cause its breaking, permitting the screwing on of the cap. Another possibility
is to
initially carry out a slight unscrewing of the cap, an operation in which the
ring 13 is
retained by the support of the inner rib 14 of this ring against the outer rib
14' of the
neck of the recipient 1.
In any case, the cap 3 reaches the maximum screwed-on position shown in
figure 3, in which the skirt 8, through the lower cutting edge 15, has broken
the
bottom 6 of the capsule 2 and pushes it to position 6' of figure 3, in which
the
product contained in this capsule has completely fallen to the bottom of the
recipient
1, coming together with the product contained by said recipient, being able to
achieve a perfect mixture of both products, for example, by means of shaking.
For the extraction or ingestion of the content, it will be enough to separate
the cover 10, an operation which is facilitated by means of the peripheral rim
18 of
said cover. The outflow of the product will be done through the inner skirt 8
and the
opening 9, with no need of unscrewing the cap 3 and removing the capsule 2.
In summary, with the container of the invention, the constitution of the cap 3
is simplified, a more comfortable removal or pouring of the mixture is
provided and
complete security against manipulation is provided due to the existence of the
outer
cover 17 and the tamper-evident ring 13.
